Hugs for Thanksgiving

     If it's Friday, you know that means a new weekly challenge has started at QKR Stampede.  This is the most recent (and I think the last) of my Thanksgiving cards.  I used a darling image called "Bear Hugs" and I'm using this as a way to give some holiday support to a sweet lady who is facing her first holidays following the loss of her husband.  She's going to be at our house for Thanksgiving and I want her to know that she has family and friends who love her.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and mat cut with Tonic Studios & Spellbinders dies
Orange CS embossed with "Linen" folder
Textured ribbon
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner
Cutie Pie
Digi Choosday
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Funday
Paper Girls
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Come play with us this week.  Our theme is always Anything Goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gratitude for All (Good) Things

     OK, I admit it - I'm an ice cream junkie!   I love nearly any flavor and I find myself craving it even in the midst of winter.   On the other hand, I do live in an area that never gets snow and we rarely reach the freezing temperatures but still, most people around here don't eat ice cream all winter long.

     My card today is my DT project for the newest challenge at QKR Stampede and I used an image called "Bear with Sundae."  I'm mailing this one to my #1 son for Thanksgiving.  :-D

I used colors from the challenge at Color Dare #368

and the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

 

Colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with QuicKutz die
Plaid paper from Your Next Stamp
Diamond ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Gold ribbon scrap from basket
Fabric pumpkin
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenge:
A Gem of a Challenge
Colour Crazy
Crafter's Castle
Cut It Up
Dare 2B Artsy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz PAM
Your Next Stamp

     I hope you're going to come and play in our challenge this week.  Remember, the theme is always "Anything Goes" and you can use any image from any maker.  However, if you use a QKR Stampede image (or one from their sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry goes into a separate draw and that increases your chances of winning!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bounty of Blessings for QKR Stampede

     Another Friday morning and that means another weekly challenge has started at QKR Stampede.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and you may use whatever image you like, whether it's from QKR or not.  However, you should know that any card entered which has a QKR (or Eureka Stamps - our sister company) image will be put into a separate draw and that increases your chances of winning by a huge margin!

     Today, I used a QKR image (Cornstalk and Pumpkin) and a sentiment from Eureka Stamps (Bounty of Blessings.)  Together, they made a fabulous Thanksgiving card.

Colored with ProMarkers
Inked edges of image & plaid dp (ProMarkers)
Image cut with QuicKutz die
CAS design
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
Colour Crazy
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs
Dare 2B Artsy
Lil Patch of ...
Outlawz PAM
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Take It, Make It

     Please come play with us this week.  We love seeing what you create.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Turkey

     Well, Halloween is behind us and now we can begin to put our focus on Thanksgiving and Christmas/Winter.  It's Friday morning and that means another weekly challenge has started over at QKR Stampede.  This is my second post of the day and I'll have 3 more over the next 18 hours!  Be sure to come by to see them all.  I say that as if you had nothing else to do today.  :-D

     Our challenge theme, as always, is "Anything Goes" and there is no requirement to use QKR image.  However, if you do use QKR or an image from the sister company, Eureka Stamps (which I did), your entry will go into a separate draw and that means you could win much more easily.

     I used the "Double Line Turkey" image from Eureka Stamps and the "Bold Happy Thanksgiving" sentiment from QKR Stampede.

Colored with ProMarkers & water colors
Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon
CAS design

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
Creative Knockouts
Digi Choosday
Outlawz PAM
Polkadoodles
Tuesday Throwdown
Word Art Wed.
Work It Weds.

     Hope you'll come play with us this week and stop by again to see the other First of the Month posts. Happy Crafting!  NanaConnie

Bountiful Blessings

     One more really quick post because I want to get this entered at Double D in their Orange and White challenge before it closes.  The acorn and leaves image is by Anne Fenton and the sentiment is from Eureka Stamps.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sentiment cut with Tonic Studios die
Edges inked with ProMarker
Sheer ribbon with pumpkins

     Challenges:
Cute N Crafty
Cuttlebug Mania
Digi Choosday
Dream Valley
Outlawz Greetings
Papercraft
Stamping Sensations
TTCRD

     Have a great week and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pilgrims on Thanksgiving

     Bugaboo Stamps has some of the cutest Thanksgiving images and these two Bobbleheads are no exception.  There are a total of 3 images on this card and I simply put them together, adjusting the size of each one to make a single, CAS design.

ProMarkers using fall colors
Cut with a Spellbinders rectangle die
Hand-tied, raffia bow

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Catch the Bug
Cute N Crafty
Dream Valley
Incy Wincy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Passion for ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp & Show
Stamping Sensations

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Grateful Elf

     I love this Harvest Elf image from AuroraWings and I plan to use this as a Thanksgiving card.

I used the sketch from Cheerful Sketches.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Sue Wilson dies
Papers and CS from the scrap basket
Hand tied bow made with satin polka dot ribbon

     Challenges:
2 Sisters on  the Blog
a2z Scrapbooking
A Perfect Time to Craft
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafty Hazelnut's
Die Cut Divas
Dies R Us
Morgan's ArtWorld

     Enjoy your weekend and I'll see you tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Counting Blessings

     Fooled you!  No Halloween card today; instead I'm heading on down the road to Thanksgiving with this adorable image from Bugaboo Stamps.  Don't you just love that cute little owl sitting on his harvested pumpkins?

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Memory Box Pinpoint Rectangle die
Wide satin ribbon and sheer ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
Jute cord added to bow

     Challenges:
Addicted to CAS
Allsorts
Catch the Bug
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Calender
Dare 2B Artsy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz SAR
Passion for ProMarkers
Stamping Sensations

     Happy Crafting.   NanaConnie

Turkeys for Thanksgiving Dinner

     I wanted an exceptionally silly Thanksgiving card for my daughter and found both the sentiment and the image at Bugaboo Stamps.  Even though they are not part of the same set, they work perfectly together.

I based this card design on the sketch at Stella Says Sketch.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sentiment die cut with QuicKutz die
Image fussy cut w scissors
Silk leaves with touches of glitter added
Background dp was a left over scrap
Dots on dp are embossed

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Catch the Bug (bottom row)
Crafty Sentiments
Double D
Outlawz Colors (bottom row)
Paper Funday
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Light in the Window

     The alphabet prompt today at Beccy's Place is the letter "L" and I used one of Beccy's Seasonal Window images to make my card.  This is the winter window and it gave me another chance to focus on being home for the holidays - Thanksgiving or Christmas.

     I played with a pre-colored image but used a Lemon ProMarker to cast the glow on the window pane and a pale green to color the candle.  I also used a couple of gray ProMarkers to enhance the bricks a bit, and used a white gel pen on the snow.

     I added Lemon yellow, Nuvo Crystal Drops to the flame which gave it both shine and texture.  I know that's hard to see but if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll get a good look at it.

     The image piece was cut on my Fiskars paper cutter, then I distressed the edges.  I cut scrap pieces of gray CS with a Bo Bunny die and made Layers with them, adding the image piece on top.  I printed the sentiment, getting two more Ls, Light and Leading.  The bow is one of those I sew up by the dozens using white ribbon, then I dye them the color I want with ProMarkers.  The bow is the same color as the candle, and that complementary pop of color in the bow makes the candle more visible to the eye.

     Challenges:
Crafting with Friends
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Hiding in My Craft Room
I {Heart} ProMarkers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Take It, Make It
Time Out
Winter Wonderland

     Can you believe it - a day with only 1 post!  Ooops, I forgot that I'm posting for World Wide Open DT challenge later today.  lol  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

And the Turkey Says, "Eat Beef"

     It's Friday and we have another new challenge beginning at QKR Stampede and we always have an "Anything Goes" theme.   I managed to get this one done early so it was completed before the flu symptoms hit me last week.

     I used an image from our sister company, Eureka Stamps, called "Eat Beef."  You can believe he's saying "Thanks" to all who take his advice about the menu.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image with a stitched die from Lawn Fawn.  Both the dp and the golden CS were scraps on my craft desk and they worked with the colors of the image.  I used brown jute cord to make the bow and added three sets of three brads to corners of the image.

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Fingers
Cute N Crafty
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Fussy and Fancy
I {heart} ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp
Work It Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bounty of Blessings

     Friday morning and another new "Anything Goes" challenge over at QKR Stampede.  There is no requirement that you use an image from QKR --any stamp from any company is fine.  But if you decide to use an image from QKR Stampede (or our sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry will be put into a separate draw for QKR only and that really increases your chance of winning!  Think about it.  :-D

     I decided on a Thanksgiving card today, and I used two images plus a sentiment, all three are from Eureka Stamps:  Pilgrim Boy ES2302, PilgrimGirl ES2303, and Bounty of Blessings.  I merged the Pilgrim images and printed the sentiment separately.

I took some inspiration from this photo at Cupcake Inspirations.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut it with a Cross Stitch Rectangle die from Lawn Fawn.  I cut the sentiment with another die from that same set.  Because of the cross stitching on the die, I dug out the dp from my fall holiday stash and used it to make the card front.

     I added two ribbons, one is ribbed grosgrain and the other is a satin with a leaf print on it.  I layered those together and wrapped them around the card front.  I added one of my signature, hand-sewn, bows to which I had added a button.

     This card is going to be mailed so I left it CAS and flat for easy mailing.

     Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking
Bastel-Traum
Crafts Dreamy
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Hazelnut's 
Dies R Us
Digi Choosday
Kreativeinkauf

     Come play along this week and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fancy Sunbonnet's Thanksgiving

     One more quick post for you today because the rest of the week I have a ton of posts lined up, including 4 tomorrow for the first of the month! 

     For this one, I used a cute image from Bugaboo Stamps; one of their sweet Fancy Sunbonnet images, and this one is perfect for Thanksgiving.

I started with the sketch from the Outlawz

and color inspiration from Catch the Bug.

  

     I  love using autumn colors because they reflect my favorite season, mirroring the leaves drifting off the trees and the clear skies of a crisp fall day.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image and a die from QuicKutz to cut it.  The sentiment was also cut with an oval die from QuicKutz.  I embossed the golden CS with my Linen folder.  The bits of dp above and below the sentiment were scraps left on my table from some other project.

     The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the bow is one of my hand-sewn bows, made by the dozens and put into my stash for future use.  I added the pearl when I was making the bow.

      Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Friends
Cutie Pie
Hiding in My Craft Room
Time Out

     That's it for today and I hope you'll visit all my posts tomorrow.  Feel free to take your time.  No need to rush though all of them in the morning.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkin Patch

     Friday morning and I'm sharing another DT card for the weekly challenge at QKR Stampede which started this morning.  It really is fall (according to the calendar if not the weather) and that means Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the corner.  If you want to play along in our challenge this week, you could make something for either of those occasions or anything else you choose because we always have an "Anything Goes" theme.  I chose a beautiful autumn image from our sister company, Eureka Stamps, called "Pumpkins and Fence."

I started with the sketch from Sum More Fun

and colors from The House that Stamps Built.

  

     I colored with ProMarkers and used water colors for the muted sky and ground.  I cut the image with a stitched die from Memory Box.  I had one piece of that lovely dp left in a DCWV stack and I though it went perfectly with the image.

     If you look closely, you'll see that the background dp is also cut with a stitched die from that set and the image is inlaid into the background.  I added the wider, paler, polka dot ribbon before inlaying the image, then I wrapped that whole piece with a deep orange, polka dot, ribbon before putting it onto the card front.

     I love how the vertical and horizontal stripes in the background make a box for each pumpkin or leaf or other fall item.  Stripes, squares, and polka dots are wonderful geometric shapes for visual interest and texture.

     On this card, rather than leaving it completely CAS, I added a white, hand-sewn, bow with a button, and the stitched pumpkin.  The sentiment was printed, hand cut, and inked on the edges.

     Challenges:
Double D
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
I {heart} ProMarkers
Paper Shelter
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.
Words to Craft By

     I hope you'll come and play along with us this week.  We want to be inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Keeping Warm with Gratitude

     I've become so hooked on the images at All Dressed Up and my Wish List for these long-legged gals is growing each week!   Today I used an image called "All Wrapped Up" so it was perfect for a fall card.  I turned it into a Thanksgiving card with the sentiment.

I used colors from House of Cards.

     I think this is a pretty simple design but one with lots of visual interest.  I started by coloring the image with my ProMarkers, then cut it with an Unbranded, oval die.  I had a scrap of plaid paper in my autumn stash and grabbed it for the card front.

     While searching for the dp, I came across the silk leaf and knew it would make a perfect textural piece.  So, I adhered it to the plaid paper, then layered on the image oval, using dimensional tape.  I printed the sentiment, matted it, and used more dimensional tape to mount it onto the card.

     Challenges:
Bastel-Traum
Crafts Dreamy
Crafts Galore Encore
Cupcake Inspirations
Cute N Crafty
Die Cut Divas
Double Trouble
Pammie's Inky Pinkies

     I hope your week is going well.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Scarecrow and Bird

     I've been revisiting my collection of Whimsy Stamps and I can't believe how many I have that I'd forgotten.  So it's time to bring them back and let them see daylight again.  :-D  Today, I'm letting this darling scarecrow with his bird friend enjoy the spotlight.  It's been at least 4 years since I used him (hanging head in shame.)

     I colored him with ProMarkers, then used a die from Tonic Studios to cut the image.  I inked the edges with a stamp pad.  Next, I printed the sentiment and used a Gina Marie die to cut it.  I used the same stamp pad to ink the edges of it.

     The geometric background design was cut with a Memory Box die and I laced glittery, gold, ribbon through one side of it.  I layered that piece onto honey gold CS, then added the image and the sentiment, and put it all onto the card blank.

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Creative Inspirations
DL.ART
Double D
Ellibelles's Crafty Weds.
If You Give...a Cookie
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Quick Quotes
Scrappy Land

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Blessings on Thanksgiving

     Today I'm sending Thanksgiving wishes to all my blogging friends who live in Canada since they are celebrating their Thanksgiving this weekend.  That lovely image comes from Beccy's Place.

     The pumpkin and vine are colored with ProMarkers and the highlight spots on the berries are done with gel ink.  Both plaid papers came from my stash of scraps so don't ask me who made them. 

     Once the image was colored, I fussy cut it with scissors and mounted it on Pop Dots.  I layered the papers onto the card front, then added the pumpkin image.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, then adhered it to another, rather tiny, scrap of CS which has embossed stripes on it and is glittery.

     My final touch was the accordion-fold bow which is made from scraps of fabric.

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafting with Friends
DL.ART
Double D
If You Give... a Cookie
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Sasayaki Glitter
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Apple Pie Happy !

     My dad loved apple pie more than any other dessert and it was probably the only way he ever ate apples.  My mom, on the other hand, hated making pie of any sort (cakes, cookies, sweet rolls, even candy was fine but she didn't like making pie crusts) so home-made apple pie in our house was something to celebrate.  As apple harvest season rolled around, the whole family would drive up into the foothill country for a day of picking apples at the orchards and we'd come home with bushel baskets which would be stored in the cellar for as long as they lasted under the onslaught of kids craving fresh fruit long after it had disappeared from the trees.  Usually we picked so many during the harvest that we still had apples well into the winter - certainly through Christmas and the New Year.

     When Mom broke down and made the first apple pie of the season, my dad would declare himself to be "Apple Pie Happy!" and we'd all celebrate and declare it was the best she'd ever made.  :-D

     Here's a salute to my mom and her harvest-season, apple pies. 

Both the memory and this card were inspired by the challenge photo at Catch the Bug

and I used an image from Bugaboo Stamps.

     This card is a combination of old and new things.  The childhood memories made me appreciate and reach for things from my stash which are the old.  The dies I used are my newest ones and the yellow CS is from a package I just purchased.  I was getting low on fall colors in my CS stash so had to purchase replacements. 

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image and the yellow frame with my newest cross-stitch dies from Lawn Fawn.  I found a scrap of forest green CS to use on the card front, then printed, hand cut, and matted the sentiment.

     I had another scrap of that net mesh and I added it to the side of the card, tucking it under one side of the image.  I also found the leaf embellie in my autumn stash and thought it would look good tucked into the mesh.  I added three, tiny, brass, brads to the bottom corner but they're hard to see in the photo.

     Challenges:
Crafter's Cafe
Cutie Pie
Do Al(l) Creatives (Diagonal: top left to bottom right)
Double Trouble
Incy Wincy
Lawn Fawnatics
Pammie's Inky Pinkies

     I'll have another card tomorrow inspired by the same photo from the Catch the Bug challenge but completely different.  The only common thread between the two cards would be the "apple" theme.  Check it out tomorrow to see what I mean.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Greetings

     A couple of weeks ago, I saw this card on Jane Willis's blog, Onions and Paper, and was so impressed with it that I just had to CASE it!  Thanks for the inspiration, Jane!

I love the simple design, striking background paper,

and wonderful autumn theme.

     Here's how I used that inspiration.

     The sentiment/image is from my growing collection of Victorine Originals stamps.  I actually added the little pumpkins on each side (also Victorine) so the main stamp is the sentiment.

     I used ProMarkers to color, then cut it into the long rectangle.  I inked the edges to make it stand out.  The argyle plaid paper is a digital paper and I really don't remember from what company.  It was a leftover scrap large enough to cover my card front and had gorgeous autumn colors.

    After putting on the sentiment piece, I added glittered ribbon above and below and knew instantly that the card was finished.  

     Challenges:

Crafty Friends

Crafty Sentiments Designs

Creative with Stamps

Double Trouble

Dragonfly Dreams

Get Creative

Hiding in My Craft Room

Jo's Scrap Shack

Passion for ProMarkers

Path of Positivity
Sum More Fun

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Teddy's Wagon

     I've been digging through my collection of Di's Digi Designs again and found this image - perfect for a Thanksgiving celebration.

I used a sketch from The Outlawz, turned on its side

and colors (again) from Time Out.

  

     I colored with ProMarkers, using muted autumn shades.  I trimmed the image to size and layered it onto a scrap piece of digital dp left over from another project.  I cut the orange frame with a Memory Box die and put that on top of the image and dp.

     I found that ribbon in my autumn stash and added the two strips of it, top and bottom.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and inked the edges before adding it.  I did small pearls in each corner, then added the two leaves and the pumpkin on Pop Dots for some dimension and texture.

     I think this will be a perfect Thanksgiving card for one of the boys in my family.  :-D

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Cute N Crafty
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Stamping Sensations (bear, bounty)

     Enjoy the last part of our weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie